The British have a longstanding gentrified tradition: professional shoe polishers still grace the hallowed halls of Burlington Arcade, the Queen continues to sit on the throne, and Beefeaters still guard the palace—they really do keep it traditional. And among the finest areas of London, you’ll find boutiques with scents that date back to the 18th century. Whilst England may be best known for its penchant for a cup of tea (by those from across the pond), they have a surprisingly strong connection with the most luxurious of English perfumeries, some of which have been a part of the British tradition for centuries.

Penhaligon’s

Founded in 1870 by William Penhaligon, Penhaligon’s are true masters of British perfumery. Going to a Penhaligon’s boutique is an experience in itself. The scents lure passers-by into a magnificent setting that combines a mix of traditional, modern, classic and the unusual—perfectly encapsulating the British quirkiness that Britain is most famous for. The boutiques, located in only the finest places in London, are never the same—each is filled with different nick-nacks and antiques, creating different, eclectic personalities.

Penhaligon’s is exceedingly proud of its British heritage, staying truly old-fashioned from the bottles to their packaging; the spirit of Penhaligon’s founder is still alive in the house today. Moving to London in the 1860’s, William Penhaligon started off as a hairdresser at the famous Piccadilly Turkish Baths on Jermyn Street. With a keen eye for business, he opened a salon nearby and started to create lotions and potions that would attract the finest of clientele—including the royal family. Penhaligon has had a strong connection with the British Royal family, going way back over a century. William Penhaligon himself was appointed Royal Barber and Perfumer to the Royal Court during Queen Victoria’s reign and in 1903 the business was granted its first Royal Warrant from Queen Alexandra. Now, over 140 years later, Penhaligon’s proudly hold Royal Warrants from The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Scents are still made and bottled in England using the finest, rarest ingredients—from hand squeezed bergamot, to jasmine at twice the price of gold. The signature Penhaligon's fragrance bottle echoes William's original design: clear glass with a distinctive ribbon-wrapped stopper.

Over 140 years old, and with an impressive fragrance portfolio, each scent is designed to elicit a personal and emotional response. Despite their dedication to old traditions, the house keeps up with the times, exploring new fragrance technology every day to please the modern fragrance connoisseur. Despite the trends, Penhaligon’s remains rooted to its witty British traditions and is a house that provides the aristocratic luxuries of yesteryear for the modern individual.

Floris

The bottles of Floris perfume that grace bathrooms and vanity desks are the envy of many. British perfumers since 1730, Floris London has been providing fragrances for generations to the finest of clientele. Floris is famously the oldest independent family perfumer in the world and the only appointed perfumer to Her Majesty the Queen.

Floris combines their classic fragrances (that were created before 1900) with new innovations and flair. The house is famous for their dedication, romantic notions and passion for detail. So strong is the romanticism of the house that the original Floris shop (at 89 Jermyn Street) remains the heart of the business and is still run by descendants of Mr. Floris himself. Even though its heart belongs in Britain, Floris has a global reputation as one of the world’s finest luxury fragrance houses.

Floris excels in creating beautiful fragrances for those who appreciate elegance and luxury and with nine generations of family perfumers, their collection of indulgent scents are second to none, epitomizing the craft of fine English perfumery.

Pecksniff’s

Pecksniff's is one of the last truly independent British fragrance brands embodying a passion for quality and exclusivity. Starting the house within the walls of their first Brighton boutique (which is still there today), their unique take on rich and quirky fragrances has become globally renowned. Combining their master perfumery skills, the fragrances are pure and nature-inspired—from ‘Raindrops and Roses’ to ‘Iced Tea and Fig’, the collection is crisp, pure and romantic.

A Pecksniff perfume can be noticed immediately as they use the finest quality oils and purest ingredients from around the world. Entirely dedicated to their customers, the house offers excellent personal service whilst delivering pure pampering and indulgent fragrances.

Jo Malone

Jo Malone is inspired by modern British culture. The brand was established in 1994, when founder Jo Malone created only a few scents that were popular due to their simplicity and sophistication. Perfect for those with an understated, elegant style—and of course a dash of whimsy—Jo Malone London is coveted for its simplistic luxury. Immaculate and unfussy, it is perfect for today’s luxury fragrance connoisseur.

Each scent is made from the highest quality ingredients by world-renowned master perfumers, and a Jo Malone bottle can be found in almost every central London home. From its Georgian townhouse in 52 Gloucester Place, the perfumery is known for offering clients the option to blend their own fragrance. Often thought as the ‘Saville Row of scent’, the Jo Malone house will find a statement suited to the individual, always concocting something unique and personal for each guest. Refined elegance is in a Jo Malone bottle of perfume—the brand's simple signature cream packaging with black edging screams sophistication.

Clive Christian

The world’s most expensive perfume. That’s an impressive title to hold, and it belongs to Clive Christian, a British perfume house first established in 1872. It is the only house ever to have been granted the privilege to use the image of Queen Victoria’s crown.

The house has one aim and one aim only: to restore true luxury in the world of perfumery by reviving the original values and heritage of the industry, with absolutely no reference to cost. Only design and excellence will do and the house is known to use the most rare and precious natural ingredients from around the world. Even though scent is the utmost of importance, the design of the bottle excels over all other perfumes. Clive Christian has revived the glass bottle with a hand-cut crystal stopper—perfect for the perfume purist. The Clive Christian house remains to this day the very spirit of luxury.